Fruit-gatherer.



J, W. DREPPEED. FRUIT GATHERER. APBLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. B, 1909.

946,42, Patented Jan. 11,1910.

ammo r QR) woo 5w 5 %1 JOHN W. DREPPERD, OF BEVERLY, WEST VIRGINIA.

FRUIT-GATHERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 516,785.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IV. Dnnrrnnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at Beverly, in the county of Randolph and- State of Vest Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Gatherers, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to fruit gatherers and has for an object to provide a device of this character that can be manufactured at a minimum cost and which shall be provided with means whereby fruit can be conveniently and effectively removed from thetree and deposited in a receptacle or caught in the hand of the operator of the device.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is better disclosed and it will of course be understood that changes within the scope of the claim can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views :Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gatherer. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the gatherer.

My improved fruit gatherer consists of a handle 1 which may be of a length best adapted for the purpose intended. The handle is provided with a longitudinally extending sack or chute 2 whose upper open end is disposed preferably in a plane with the handle and secured to a head member 3. The head member in the present instance is formed from a single length of wire whose extremities are secured in any well-known manner to the handle 1. A jaw 4 is carried by the handle and preferably consists of a fabric member 5 whose marginal edges are secured to a frame 6. The frame 6 is formed from a single length of wire and is bent to form alining loops 7 which are engaged with outwardly extending pivot pins 8 upon the handle 1. From the loops 7 the wire forming the member (5 bent to form ahorizontally disposed crank arm 9.

A coiled spring or equivalent elastic element 10 is secured at one of its ends to the handle 1, and at the other end the spring is secured to the crank arm 9. By this construction it will be seen that the jaw 5 is normally held in its closed position and lies in parallel relation to the head member 3 hereinbefore described. An operating lever 11 is pivoted to the handle 1 adjacent to the lower end thereof and as indicated this lever is operatively connected with the crank arm 9 by means of a rod or suitable connection 12. The lever 11 may be actuated manually so that the jaw 4 can be moved into its opened position or in other words against the tension of the spring or elastic element 10.

In operation the upper open end of the fabric receptacle 2 can be positioned adjacent to the fruit to be collected, after which the jaw 4 can be moved into its opened position. After the fruit has been correctly po sitioned between the jaw 4: and the upper open end of the fabric receptacle 2, the lever 1.1 can be released, whereupon the jaw will be automatically moved to its closed position. In the movement of the jaw to its closed position its engagement with the stem of the fruit will be sufficient to sever the stem from the tree and the fruit will then be discharged into the chute or receptacle 2, where it may be caught by the hand of the operator of the device or it may be delivered to a suitable receptacle, not shown.

I claim 1 A fruit gatherer comprising a handle having a longitudinally extending fabric chute secured thereto, said chute having a lower open end portion which is disposed approximately at the lower end of the handle, said chute having an upper open end portion which is disposed along one side of the handle, a pivoted jaw carried by the handle and comprising a frame formed from a single length of wire bent approximately in circular form and provided with opposing loops and with a portion connecting the loops to form a crank arm, pivot pins carried by the handle and engaged in the loops for providing pivotal movement of the said jaw, fabric material secured to the said frame, a spring secured at one end to the handle and at its other end to the said crank arm to normally hold the jaw against the upper open end of the chute, and an operating lever operatively connected with the said crank arm for moving the jaw against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. DREPPERD. WVitnesses J. M. BALL, B. P. BAILEY. 

